State Dept cable 1974-25716

Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 30 JUN 2005

Message Text

CONFIDENTIAL POSS DUPE
PAGE 01 MOGADI 00251 191220Z
54

ACTION AF- 18

INFO OCT-01 EUR-25 NEA-11 ISO-OO CIAE-00 DODE-OO PM-07

H-03 INR-10 L-03 NSAE-00 NSC- 10 PA-04 RSC-01 PRS-01

S PC-03 SS-20 USIA-15 SAM-01 EB-11 FEA-02 TRSE-00 PC-04

AID-20 COME-OO DRC-01 /171 W

087071

R 191058Z FEB 74
FM AMEMBASSY MOGADISCIO
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 1639
INFO AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA
AMEMBASSY JIDDA
AMEMBASSY LONDON
AMEMBASSY MOSCOW
AMEMBASSY NAIROBI
AMEMBASSY ROME
USINT CAIRO
USIA WASHDC

CONFIDENTIAL MOGADISCIO 0251

E. 09-1 1652: GDS
TAGS: PFOR SO

SUBJ: SOMALIA JOINS ARAB LEAGUE

REF: A. MOGADISCIO 0237; B. MOGADISCIO 0250

1. SOMALIA'S ACCESSION TO ARAB LEAGUE HAS RECEIVED EXTENSIVE
PUBLICITY FOLLOWING OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT BY PRESIDENT SIAD
LATE FEB 16. FOLLOWING AFTERNOON, SIAD ADDRESSED CROWD OF ABOUT
15,000, LARGE FOR MOGADISCIO, AT OPEN-AIR CEREMONY IN CITY.
CEREMONIES IN OTHER TOWNS THROUGHOUT COUNTRY REPORTED IN PRESS.

2. MAIN THEMES OF PUBLICITY INCLUDE IDEA THAT SOMALIA'S ACCESSION
IS NATURAL CULMINATION OF HISTORIC AND CULTURAL ASSOCIATIONS
WITH ARABIAN PENINSULA, OBSTRUCTED ONLY BY DIVIDE AND RULE
CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

PAGE 02 MOGADI 00251 191220Z

POLICY OF IMPERIALISTS; THAT MOVE IS THUS BLOW AGAINST IM-
PERIALISM; ALSO THAT SOMALIA’S ACCESSION WILL FURTHER STRENGTHEN

Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 30 JUN 2005

Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 30 JUN 2005

TIES AND FORM BRIDGE BETWEEN ARAB AND OTHER AFRICAN COUNTRIES.
WIDESPREAD HOPES FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE NOT DIRECTLY MENTIONED
IN MEDIA, BUT IMPLIED BY GENERAL REFERENCES TO ECONOMIC
COOPERATION.

3. IN INTERVIEW WITH BBC SOMALI LANGUAGE CORRESPONDENT ON FEB
16, PRESIDENT SIAD REPLIED TO QUESTION ABOUT HIGH OIL PRICES

BY SAYING IT WAS "MISTAKE" FOR ARABS TO HAVE SAME PRICES FOR
FRIENDS AND ENEMIES. THIS COMMENT INCLUDED IN BBC SOMALI AND
ENGLISH-LANGUAGE BROADCASTS FEB 17, BUT NO REFERENCE TO IT HAS
APPEARED IN SOMALI MEDIA. MOFA CHIEF OF PROTOCOL REMARKED TO
DCM FEB 17 THAT GSDR 'EXTREMELY GRATIFIED" BY VOA'S HANDLING
OF SOMALI ACCESSION.

4. DELICATE QUESTION OF POSSIBLE INCREASED STATUS FOR ARABIC
LANGUAGE SKIRTED IN MEDIA WITH OCCASIONAL REFERENCE TO INCREASED
TEACHING OF ARABIC IN SCHOOLS, BUT NO MENTION OF OFFICIAL

STATUS FOR ARABIC LANGUAGE IN GOVERNMENT.

5. COMMENT REACHING EMBASSY CONTINUES TO INDICATE (REFTEL A)

THAT ACCESSION TO LEAGUE IS BROADLY POPULAR IN SOMALIA, EX-
PECIALLY AMONG THOSE GROUPS LEAST ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT "SCIENTIFIC
SOCIALISM".

KIRK

CONFIDENTIAL

NNN

Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 30 JUN 2005

Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 30 JUN 2005

Message Attributes

Automatic Decaptioning: X
Capture Date: 01 JAN 1994
Channel Indicators: n/a
Current Classification: UNCLASSIFIED

Concepts: MEMBERSHIP, ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE, ECONOMIC COOPERATION, PETROLEUM, FOREIGN ASSISTANCE, IMPORT PRICES,
ANTIIMPERIALISM, PUBLIC ATTITUDES

Control Number: n/a
Copy: SINGLE
Draft Date: 19 FEB 1974
Decaption Date: 01 JAN 1960
Decaption Note:

Disposition Action: RELEASED
Disposition Approved on Date:

Disposition Authority: cunnlnfx
Disposition Case Number: n/a
Disposition Comment: 25 YEAR REVIEW
Disposition Date: 28 MAY 2004
Disposition Event:

Disposition History: n/a
Disposition Reason:

Disposition Remarks:

Document Number: 1974MOGADI00251

Document Source: CORE

Document Unique ID: 00

Drafter: n/a

Enclosure: n/a

Executive Order: GS

Errors: N/A

Film Number: n/a

From: MOGADISCIO

Handling Restrictions: n/a

Image Path:

ISecure: 1

Legacy Key: Iink1974/newtext/t19740224/aaaaawva.tel

Line Count: 85
Locator: TEXT ON-LINE
Office: ACTION AF

Original Classification: CONFIDENTIAL
Original Handling Restrictions: n/a
Original Previous Classification: n/a
Original Previous Handling Restrictions: n/a
Page Count: 2

Previous Channel Indicators:

Previous Classification: CONFIDENTIAL

Previous Handling Restrictions: n/a

Reference: A. MOGADISCIO 0237; B. MOGADISCIO 02, 50

Review Action: RELEASED, APPROVED

Review Authority: cunninfx

Review Comment: n/a

Review Content Flags:

Review Date: 22 MAY 2002
Review Event:

Review Exemptions: n/a

Review History: RELEASED <22 MAY 2002 by boyleja>; APPROVED <02 DEC 2002 by cunninfx>

Review Markings:

Declassified/Released
US Department of State
EO Systematic Review
30 JUN 2005

Review Media Identifier:

Review Referrals: n/a
Review Release Date: n/a
Review Release Event: n/a
Review Transfer Date:

Review Withdrawn Fields: n/a
Secure: OPEN
Status: NATIVE

Subject: SOMALIA JOINS ARAB LEAGUE
TAGS: PFOR, EAID, SO, XF, AL
To: STATE
Type: TE

Markings: Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 30 JUN 2005

Declassified/Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 30 JUN 2005